Origins
Dracaena - a genus of woody shrubs/trees with striped, spiky foliage - persisted as a reliable office plant that found new appreciation among plant parents 2016-2020.
Popular Varieties (2016-2020)
Common:
- Dracaena marginata (Dragon Tree, red-edged, $20-40)
- Dracaena fragrans (Corn Plant, yellow-striped, $25-60)
- Dracaena compacta (compact, dark green, $15-30)
Trendy:
- Dracaena trifasciata (formerly Sansevieria, Snake Plant - see separate entry)
- Dracaena Golden Heart (yellow center stripe, $30-60)
Why They Persisted (2016-2020)
Low-maintenance traits:
- Tolerates low light
- Drought-tolerant (water every 2-3 weeks)
- Slow-growing (minimal repotting)
- Air-purifying (NASA list)
- Hard to kill
Instagram posts: Steady 200K+ posts annually (never trendy, always reliable).
The Brown Tip Problem
Like Spider Plants, Dracaenas suffer from:
- Brown leaf tips (fluoride, chlorine, salts)
- Distilled water solves it
- Many plant parents accept it as normal
Cultural Role
Dracaenas never became Instagram stars (too office-like, too common), but remained workhorses for beginners and low-light spaces. The unglamorous reliable friend.
Sources
- NASA Clean Air Study (1989)
- r/Houseplants beginner recommendations
- “Best Office Plants” (Wirecutter, 2019)